The Freedom Of Information Act is not free – a high school journalist submitted a FOIA request and got a bill for nearly $8,000.
It was a tough lesson for budding journalist Chris Robbins who wasn't going to let that bill stop him from getting the truth.
Robbins didn't think it would be so hard to get the information.
"No, definitely not," he said.
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Read More… from Student reporter gets $8,000 FOIA bill from school district
The FBI is now allowing Freedom of Information Act requests to be made online.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently began beta testing of eFOIA, a new online system that allows the public to make FOIA requests for FBI records and receive immediate access to view or download the material.
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Read More… from FBI now allows Freedom of Information Act requests to be made online
A proposed law meant to encourage companies to share information about cyberthreats with the U.S. government includes measures that could significantly limit what details, if any, the public can review about the program through federal and state public records laws.
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Read More… from Cybersecurity bill would add secrecy to public records laws
The Orland Police Department in Illinois has settled a lawsuit, paying out $12,000 for violating and not responding to Freedom of Information Act requests by local watchdogs.
Also, the Orland Park Public Library settled a lawsuit for $55,000 for the same reason.
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Read More… from Illinois police, public library settle public records lawsuit for $67k
State law might say some government records must be disclosed, but that's not the way many Virginia officials see things.
A statewide test by 13 newspapers to see what happens when Virginians ask about information that state law says officials must disclose shows the state's four-decade-old Freedom of Information Act is widely disregarded.
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Read More… from Many Virginia officials ignore state sunshine law
Appearing as friend of the court, the D.C. Open Government Coalition last week argued that a new claim of exemption from the D.C. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by the D.C. Council is fatally flawed. According to the Coalition, it misunderstands the law and opens a door for denials wider than available to any other agency covered by the D.C. open records law the Council has applied to itself for 15 years.
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A pending cybersecurity bill would weaken government transparency, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) warned on Monday.
A day ahead of an expected final vote on the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) — which would encourage companies to share more cyber threat data with the government — Leahy made a push for his amendment, which would strip the bill of what he believes are detrimental exemptions to public transparency laws.
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Read More… from Dem warns cyber bill weakens transparency ahead of vote
In August of 2013, the Associated Press made a straightforward records request to the State Department. It wanted Hillary Clinton’s calendars from her tenure as Secretary of State—and it wanted them quickly.
Noting the likelihood of a Clinton presidential run, the AP sought to make use of a Freedom of Information Act provision that allows the press to jump to the front of the line when information is urgently needed. Continue…
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In 2003, Dean Baquet, then managing editor of the Los Angeles Times, along with then-Editor John S. Carroll, considered—and ultimately rejected—delaying publication of a damaging story on gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Just five days before the October 7 special election, the paper ran the story, which detailed multiple allegations of sexual harassment. The timing did not give the Schwarzenegger camp much chance to respond and regroup.
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Did a failed attempt by the Department of Treasury to redact part of an e-mail related to a Freedom of Information Act request expose a state government strategy of charging high fees to discourage requests for public information?
The liberal group Progress Michigan, which was quoted more than $52,000 for records it requested about communications with a state education adviser, says yes. Continue…
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Read More… from Michigan group says high fees used to conceal state records
